him to use. Upon arriving at Bucknell,
one of the first things he did was seek
out 3-D printers. On his hunt he met
Professor Nate Siegel, mechanical
engineering, who invited him to serve
on the committee that designed the
makerspace.

Aldana jumped at the opportunityand was able to remain on campus thefollowing summer through a grantfrom the Reed Garman EngineeringEntrepreneurship Fund, which requiredhim to tweak his makerspace idea intoa business framework. It planted theseed that would become Maker EDUand provided experience he put to use indesigning the CSIU makerspace.

Jeff Kay, the makerspace project
coordinator for CSIU, says the
intermediate unit “let [Aldana and
Kumaran] lead” their first project. “We
had seen makerspaces, but we didn’t
know how to start one,” Kay says.

CSIU expects its new makerspace
will be used by area school children for
field trips and summer camps and as
a demonstration site for how school
districts might employ their own
makerspaces.

While they don’t have anotherclient yet, Aldana and Kumaran saythey’ve had positive feedback from theschool districts CSIU serves and areanticipating their next project.

“We’ve tried not to look that far
ahead, because if you start looking that
far, you get lost,” Aldana says. “But it’s
definitely something I want to continue
doing, because giving students this
opportunity is amazing. This work is
really rewarding, not just in the sense
that we’re making money; we’re making
a difference as well.”

To read more about 3-D printing at
Bucknell, go to bucknell.edu/Bucknell-3D.

Opportunities Multiply for Women

If you’re determined to discover the percentage of women who earn
undergraduate degrees in computer science, be prepared for
disappointment. Less than 20 percent do so, according to a 2016
report by the National Science Foundation. (Among Bucknell
students, the statistic is closer to 25 percent.) This disparity leaves
much room for improvement, according to Anushikha Sharma ’ 18,
co-founder of a new group dedicated to the educational and
professional advancement of women studying computer science.

“Our goal is to keep women in computer science,” says Sharma, whostarted the University’s chapter of the Association of ComputingMachinery- Women (ACM- W) last spring with Laura Poulton ’ 18.Sharma explains that introductory computer science classes often have more women enrolled than advanced classes, asmany women eventually leave the program. “We’re hoping that through this organization women can find a place to talk aboutissues such as these,” Sharma says.

Fifteen members of Bucknell’s ACM- W had the opportunity to attend the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in
Computing, the world’s largest gathering of women technologists, which was held this October in Houston. The conference
not only showcases the contributions of women technologists but provides networking opportunities for attendees. Funding
from Bucknell Student Government, as well as the colleges of engineering and arts & sciences and the computer science and
electrical & computer engineering departments, enabled Bucknell students to attend.

“Being involved in ACM-W and attending Grace Hopper has given me confidence,” says Poulton, who experienced theinspirational power of seeing firsthand the progress that can be made for women in the computer science field.Tongyu Yang ’ 18 appreciates the new organization’s ability to forge connections among students from different class yearswithin the major. “It’s cool to see first-year and sophomore women interact more,” Yang says.The chapter’s future goals include developing a mentoring program and hosting events to foster increased involvement inthe organization.Sierra Magnotta ’ 18 feels the new group is empowering. “It’s impactful to see my value, to be told ‘we want you,’ and to nolonger see myself as competing with people and not measuring up,” she says. — Samantha Nolle ’ 20